Elections are nothing new in Russia. The posadniki, or governors, of medieval Novgorod were elected, as were the heads of the guba (a territorial division that existed in the 16th and 17th centuries) and the heads of rural self-government bodies from the 16th century onward.

Russian Aluminum, the country's leading aluminum maker, is looking to shift to higher value products for industries such as aerospace and packaging, and away from low grade metal as it expands globally.

More than 15 million Russians will be surfing the web at least once a month by the end of the year, nearly twice the number just two years ago, according to a new study by telecom consulting firm J'son & Partners.